This invention relates to a vehicle seat in which an elderly person, a physically handicapped person or other such persons (hereinafter simply referred to as “occupant”) is capable of easy getting in and out of a vehicle.
A conventional vehicle seat includes a seat main body, a rotation mechanism that can horizontally rotate the seat main body between a forwardly facing position where it faces a front side of a vehicle and a laterally facing position where it faces a door opening of the vehicle, a sliding mechanism that can slide the seat main body in forward and rearward directions relative to the rotation mechanism while the seat main body is in the laterally facing position, and a rotation locking mechanism that can restrict or prevent the seat main body from rotating when the seat main body is in the forwardly facing position or the laterally facing position. According to the vehicle seat thus constructed, the seat main body can be locked at the laterally facing position. Therefore, the seat main body can be stably moved between vehicle interior and vehicle exterior via the door opening when the seat main body is rotated to the laterally facing position. As a result, an occupant can easily get in and out of the vehicle.
Various types of rotation locking mechanisms are known. Such rotation locking mechanisms are taught, for example, by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Number 2001-97081. The known rotation locking mechanism taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Number 2001-97081 includes first and second engagement members that are attached to a vehicle floor so as to respectively correspond to the forwardly facing position body. In the known rotation locking mechanism, the engaging member of the seat main body is arranged and constructed to elastically engage the first or second engagement member of the vehicle floor when the seat main body is rotated to the forwardly facing position or the laterally facing position, so that the seat main body can be locked at the forwardly facing position or the laterally facing position. Further, the engaging member is arranged and constructed to be disengaged from the first or second engagement member by means of an actuator, so that the seat main body can be unlocked so as to be freely rotated.
Further, a different type of rotation locking mechanism is also known. Such a rotation locking mechanism includes a stopper member that is attached to a vehicle floor so as to correspond to the laterally facing position, and a contact member that is attached to the seat main body. In this rotation locking mechanism, the contact member of the seat main body is arranged and constructed to be pressed to the stopper member by means of a driving force of the rotation mechanism of the seat main body when the contact member contacts the stopper member, so that the seat main body can be locked at the laterally facing position.
However, the known rotation locking mechanisms still are in need of improvement. Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved rotation locking mechanism.